Long-distance shooting heroics lead UConn men over USF in AAC tournament first-round game

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MEMPHIS — Dan Hurley implored his team to win “or be willing to die trying” at this week’s American Athletic Conference tournament.

No, he wasn’t paraphrasing a 50 Cent lyric.

Yes, UConn remains alive and well, at least for another day.

The Huskies unleashed an incredible first-half 3-point shooting barrage, got some impressive, out-of-nowhere minutes from Isaiah Whaley and held on for an 80-73 victory over USF in their AAC tournament first-round game Thursday at FedExForum.

“So thrilled to advance,” Hurley said. “Obviously, winning that first game, getting a chance to play in the quarters is exciting for us.”

UConn (16-16) will face No. 1seed Houston on Friday at noon.

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“It will be a tough challenge,” said Jalen Adams, who, along with point guard Alterique Gilbert, missed the Huskies’ 71-63 loss to Houston on Feb. 14 in Hartford due to injuries. “We are ready for it.”

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Christian Vital knocked down 6 of 9 3-pointers for a game-high 25 points, Adams added 19 points before fouling out and Tarin Smith 14 on Thursday for the Huskies.

Meanwhile Whaley, little more than afterthought on the bench all season, matched a career-high with eight points to go with four rebounds in a season-best 11 minutes. He had played a combined three minutes in the Huskies’ last three games.

“Being able to contribute feels good,” said Whaley, a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward who eventually fouled out of the game.

UConn led by 18 points late in the first half, by 13 at the break and by double digits through the first 18 minutes of the latter half. USF managed to get within five (73-68) in the final minute, thanks in no small part to the Huskies’ poor foul shooting. But UConn hit five of six free throws over the final 33 seconds to seal the deal.

“I really liked the way we played the game completely, especially the first 35 minutes,” Hurley said. “We were in complete command of that game up until when Jalen had that sequence where Christian got knocked to the ground and then Jalen fouled out. And then things obviously got a little sketchy for us out there. But I thought until that point, we did everything we wanted to do.”

Just 11 days after missing all 15 of their 3-pointers in an ugly win over USF at Gampel Pavilion — on Ray Allen Day, no less! — the Huskies were simply on fire from distance in the first half. UConn hit 9 of its first 11 treys, and 13 of its first 17 shots overall, en route to a 37-18 lead. Vital hit all four of his 3-point attempts, Adams hit three and Smith both of his.

“I think the game is just slowing down for me,” Vital said. “Coach has put emphasis on not taking just any shot, taking the right shot, you know? I saw how my teammates were hot in the first half, so I didn’t want to take any extra shots where they could get one. And when the shots came to me, what I knew I could make, I put them up.”

USF closed out the half with a 7-2 run to close the Huskies’ lead to 39-26 at the break. Of course, UConn held a 14-point lead late in the first half against USF in Tampa on Jan. 2 and an eight-point lead halftime lead. The Bulls outscored the Huskies 51-35 in the latter half to pull off the victory.

This time, USF’s comeback was more methodical. But when David Collins hit a short jumper with 1:35 left and Smith followed by missing a pair of free throws, the angst was palpable from Storrs to Stamford.

After the Bulls missed a couple of shots in the paint, Smith got out on a fast break and hit Sidney Wilson for an acrobatic reverse layup. A Collins 3-pointer with 34.4 ticks left to USF to within five, but the Huskies closed it out from the foul line.

UConn wound up shooting just 17-for-28 (60.7 percent) from the line for the game. However, the Huskies — outrebounded badly by the Bulls in their prior two regular-season matchups — held their own on the boards, outrebounded by just three (33-30).

And now, a year after their first-round AAC tourney loss to SMU (by the exact same, 80-73 score!) in what was the final game of an ugly season and Kevin Ollie’s tenure, UConn has survived and advanced.

“The main difference is we are not thinking about going back to Storrs right now, to just be honest with you,” said Vital. “We’re thinking about Houston, our next match-up, and going to the next round. And with a lot of confidence, with a good group of guys who feel confident, not only in themselves but in each other. We have been through a lot this year. And now it’s March, now it is time to lay everything out on the line.”